Spragging device for colliery trams or other vehicles



I Oct.- 4, 1927. 1,644,076

. A. NEIL ET AL SPRAGGING DEVICE FOR COLLIER! TRAMS OR OTHER VEHICLESFiled Jqne 22, 1925 Imus/wan. A. NEIL. S. duh/5. OJVAIL.

Attorney. I

Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,644,076 PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER NEIL, SAMUEL JONES, AND DAVID NEIL, 0F BARRY DOCK, WALES.

SPRAGGING DEVICE FOR COLLIERY TEAMS OR OTHER VEHICLES.

Application filed June 22, 1925, Serial No. 38,763, and in Great Britainmy 23, 1924.

This invention comprises improvements relating to the spragging ofcolliery trams or other vehicles, and has for its object to provideimproved means whereby the sprag is automatically released on all tramsor vehicles at the rear of the breakage of a journey of trams or othervehicles while ascending or descending a gradient.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1, shows a diagrammatic elevation ofparts of a colliery tram fitted with a spragging device according to ourinvention. v

Figure 2, is a plan of the sprag removed together with a pin on whichsaid sprag is mounted.

Figure 8, is an underside plan, side, elevation and an end elevation ofthe bracket which is attached to the underside of the tram or vehicle towhich the sprag is pivotally connected.

Figure 4, is a front elevation and side elevation of the bracket inwhich the sprag retaining catch is mounted, whilst Figure 5, is a sideelevation and plan of the catch.

In carrying the present invention into practice as shown upon theaccompanying drawings the bracket 6 is secured to the underside of thetram 7 and provided with diagonal slots 8 in the two projections 9. Thesprag comprises two side members 11 which taper towards one another attheir outer end and are connected together by two cross members 12. Thesprag is secured to the bracket 6 by means of a bolt 13 which is passedthrough holes formed in the sprag and through the slots 8 in the bracket6.

Mounted on the end of the tram is the coupling 21. The bracket 14 isalso disposed at the end of the tram in which is mounted a springcontrolled catch 15. The catch 15 is formed at one'end with a hook 16,whilst the other end is formed with a loop 17 for the purposehereinafter explained. Mounted on the spring controlled catch 15 anddisposed between the loop 17 and the bracket 11 is a compression spring18. The pivoted sprag is normally raised to the full position shown inFigure 1, when the hook 16 of the catch 15 engages one of thecross-members 12 and normally retains the sprag in its raised position.The compression spring 18 normally holding the catch 16 in engagementwith one of the cross-members 12 of the sprag.

In connecting up a journey of trams fitted with a spragging deviceaccording to our invention a wire or other flexible connection 20 isconnected from the loop 17 of one tram to a hole 19 in the springcontrolled catch 15 of the next tram, the connection of the wire orother flexible connection 20 to the hole 19 of the spring controlledcatch 15 is preferably permanent whilst the connection to the loop 17 ofthe adjacent tram is preferably in the form of a hook 22, so as toprovide for disconnecting when the trams are uncoupled.

Should the coupling break between a number of trams, the flexibleconnection 20 at the rear of the break will be pulled against the actionof the tension spring 18, the spring controller catch 15 being thenpulled out of engagement with the cross-member 12 of the sprag, therebyreleasing the sprag which will fall into the dotted position shown inFigure 1, the end of the sprag engages the ground, whilst the first partof the backward movement of the trams will cause the bolt 13 to advanceup the inclined slots 8 and finally prevent any further progress of thetrams. p

'What we claim is v A device for the spragging of colliery trams andother vehicles, comprising in combination, a coupling for connecting thetrams together, a bracket secured to the underside of the tram body anddisposed towards the rear of same, a spragging member pivotally mountedin said bracket and adapted to engage the ground when in its loweredposition and prevent backward travel of the tram, a second bracketdisposed on the underside of the tram body, and a spring controlledcatch disposed in said bracket adapt ed to normally retain the spraggingmember in its raised position, and a flexible connection one end ofwhich is connected to the beforemention'ed catch, whilst the other endis adapted to be connected to the catch of the preceding tram, so thatupon the breaking of a coupling, the sprags on the trams at the rear ofthe breakage will be released, owing to tension being automaticallyapplied to the sprag retaining catches causing same to disengage thesprag and release same.

In'testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

' ALEXANDER NEIL.

SAMUEL JONES. DAVID NEIL.

